Vos Group #101 — The Essence of the Kingdom
Reformed Forum
In this installment of the Vos Group, Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton continue their deep dive into Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments. Together they explore Vos’s treatment of the essence of the kingdom of God (pp. 385–387), drawing connections to his “Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology.” This conversation highlights Vos’s thoroughly theocentric vision—where creation, redemption, and faith all center upon the glory of God. Dr. Tipton unpacks how this framework distinguishes Reformed theology from other traditions, and how the kingdom...
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Genesis 35:19–29 — The Weeping of Rachel
Reformed Forum
Triple tragedies strike Jacob in chapter 35. The death of his beloved Rachel, his firstborn son’s violation reprehensible sin disqualifying him from leadership, and his father Esau’s death. Yet in the middle of this passage is a genealogy signifying the fact that God’s plan of redemption will continue. We learn how important it is to trace important events throughout Scripture, and see how the weeping of Rachel becomes a signpost pointing to God’s work of redemption through Christ.
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What Is Worship? | Redemptive History and the Regulative Principle of Worship (Lesson 1)
Reformed Forum
This is the first lesson in Dr. William Wood’s Reformed Academy course, Redemptive History and the Regulative Principle of Worship. This lesson covers the following topics: 0:00 Introduction 10:26 Review of the Literature on Worship 14:43 Broad and Narrow Concepts of Worship 23:41 Definition and Features of Worship 30:28 The Importance of Humility Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to twenty-seven additional video courses in covenant theology,...
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Marcus Mininger | Impossible to Be Restored? Temptation and Warning in the Epistle of Hebrews
Reformed Forum
The warning passages of Hebrews, especially Hebrews 6:1–6, have long puzzled interpreters and unsettled readers. Is it a threat to assurance? A theological anomaly? In this episode, Dr. Marcus Mininger, Professor of New Testament Studies at , joins us to explore the redemptive-historical framework behind one of the New Testament’s most debated passages. Drawing on the insights from his new book, (B&H Academic), Dr. Mininger explains how the warning in Hebrews 6 fits not only within the argument of Hebrews but also within the broader flow of covenantal history. We...
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Conclusion: A Vision for Faithful Apologetics | Defending Our Hope (Lesson 12)
Reformed Forum
This is the twelfth lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. In the final lesson, we bring the threads together by affirming that faithful apologetics must be rooted in a comprehensive Christ-centered worldview. You will be reminded that defending the faith is not merely about technique but about seeing all of life through the “spectacles of Scripture.” From metaphysics to ethics, Christ’s lordship governs our understanding and our witness. This conclusion encourages you to press on in the calling of 1...
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David Bahnsen | Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life
Reformed Forum
What does it mean to see work not as a curse but as part of God’s original design? In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey is joined by board member Mark Van Drunen to welcome for a rich conversation about his new book, . Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of The Bahnsen Group, a private wealth management firm managing more than $4.5 billion in client assets. David is the author of Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It, The Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a...
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The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church — Chapters 10 and 11
Reformed Forum
This week on Theology Simply Profound, Bob returns to a reading of Geerhardus Vos’s 1903 book, The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church, chapters 10 and 11, "The Entrance Into the Kingdom: Repentance and Faith" and "Recapitulation"
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Providing Testimony: The Role of Proof and Evidence | Defending Our Hope (Lesson 11)
Reformed Forum
This is the eleventh lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Does proof have a place in a Reformed apologetic? In this lesson, we explore the proper use of evidence in defending the faith—not as a neutral tool but as a witness to divine truth when interpreted within the framework of Scripture. You will learn how logical arguments and historical evidences can support the gospel without compromising the authority of God’s word. By examining biblical examples and distinguishing between uses of proofs that submit to...
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Vos Group #100 — The Two-Sided Conception of the Kingdom
Reformed Forum
In this milestone 100th installment of Vos Group, Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton turn to page 381 of Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to explore the “two-sided conception of the kingdom.” Together they unpack Vos’s insights into the already/not yet dynamic of the kingdom of God—its present spiritual reality and its future consummate glory. Along the way, they engage with historical-critical objections, consider the role of John the Baptist, reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ parables, and highlight the religious nature of the kingdom as forgiveness,...
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Standing Firm: Engaging in Spiritual Conflict | Defending Our Hope (Lesson 10)
Reformed Forum
This is the tenth lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Apologetics is not merely intellectual—it’s spiritual warfare. In this lesson, we consider how to stand firm in the face of opposition, clinging to the truth of God’s word and the hope we have in Christ. You will learn how to engage others with boldness and Christlike character, especially in moments of suffering or ridicule. We explore the role of the heart, the importance of gentleness and respect, and the need for readiness to follow conversations...
info_outlineDr. Guy Waters is the Professor of New Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi and a teaching elder in the Mississippi presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. Today, he joins us to speak about his book, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church (Lexham Academic), in which he sets out a full-scale Reformed doctrine of the church. The title echoes the four classical “marks” confessed in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. This study is an extended exploration of how Scripture, read through a Reformed lens, fills out each of those creedal descriptors and binds them together into a single, coherent doctrine of the church.
Dr. Waters organizes the book in three movements:
- Biblical Revelation (Part I). Seven chapters trace “the people of God” from creation and Eden through Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Christ and the apostles, showing that God has always had one covenant people that reaches its eschatological maturity in the new-covenant church.
- Doctrinal Construction (Part II). Waters treats the classic loci of ecclesiology: the church’s four attributes (one, holy, catholic, apostolic); its marks (pure preaching, right sacraments, biblical discipline); its government (Christ the king, officers and courts); its worship (word, sacraments, prayer, Lord’s Day); its life (gifts and discipline); and its mission (“gathering and perfecting the saints” until Christ returns) .
- Truth for Life and Mission (Part III). A final chapter applies the doctrine to church-state relations, defending a robust spirituality of the church and principled religious liberty.
The conclusion distills the argument into seven theses that function as a theological checksum. Throughout, Waters interlaces biblical exegesis, historical theology and confessional sources (especially the Westminster Standards). The result is both an academic survey and a pastoral manifesto aimed at equipping the church for faithful witness today.
The conversation explores the essential identity and mission of the church, the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, and what is distinctly new through Christ’s redemptive work. Waters outlines the seven theses of his book, offering clarity on ecclesiology for today’s church, particularly in light of confusion over polity, worship, and the church’s relation to the state.
This episode is an invitation to recover a robust, Reformed understanding of the church’s nature and calling, rooted in Scripture and developed in the tradition of historic confessions.
Chapters
- 00:00 Mid-America Reformed Seminary CME Conference
- 01:30 Introduction
- 03:20 The Story Behind the Book
- 06:54 The Emphasis of this Book
- 10:43 The Need for Ecclesiology Today
- 15:33 The Seven Theses of the Book
- 18:54 The Continuity of God’s People in the Old and New Testaments
- 22:02 What Is New in the NT through Christ
- 28:02 The Mission of the Church
- 33:56 The Relation of Scripture to Polity
- 38:00 Worship
- 43:32 Ministering in Word and Deed
- 47:28 The Church and the State
- 52:26 The Spirituality of the Church
- 56:27 Conclusion